municipalities and Mount Tabor became part of the newly formed Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills. In 1869, the same year Mount Tabor was incorporated, the Newark Conference began to establish another camp meeting in Ocean Grove, at the Jersey Shore. This was the premier camp meeting of the Newark Conference and one of the jewels in the crown of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mount Tabor saw significant popularity as a religious retreat in its early days, but its popularity declined as the general interest in the Methodist religious revival movement gradually decreased over the years. Mount Tabor ceased to be a true religious camp meeting by about 1891, although a United Methodist church remains within the community, which merged with two other Methodist churches (Methodist Episcopal Church, South and the Methodist Protestant Church). Mount Tabor's status as a municipality continued until December 31, 1979, when, as a result of a lawsuit brought against Ocean Grove regarding separation of church and state, the New Jersey Supreme Court took away most municipal powers from Mount Tabor and Ocean Grove. The state supreme court forced each community to become officially incorporated into the neighboring municipalities of Parsippany-Troy Hills and Neptune Township, respectively. Since then, the remaining municipal duties were transferred to Parsippany. Today, the Camp Meeting Association of the Newark Conference of the Methodist Church, the "CMA" exists as a homeowner's association, deriving its power from the homeowners, much like a typical condo or townhouse association. The CMA is governed by twelve elected homeowners, empowered to act as the board of trustees of the CMA. Mount Tabor homeowners own their houses but lease the land on which the homes are built (a land-lease arrangement). The land is leased yearly from the CMA for a nominal amount. Camp meetings In August 1869, the crowds of Methodist campers, many of whom were from the large industrial cities in northern New Jersey, gathered in the rustic area for the ten-day camp meeting. Before living in tents, many members set up home in their horse driven wagons in which they rode to the camp meeting. Many tent owners built wooden floors and cabinets inside their tents to protect belongings from the long, cold winter when the campers returned home (you can see still see this unique style of summer tent living in Ocean Grove today). Over the years the more affluent members of the community, prominent lawyers, ministers